The study measured the degree of "financial distress" in U.S. cities and states, measured by the percentage of consumers who have debt past due and debt in collections.

Debt past due

Debt past due is debt that requires a line of credit, such as a loan or credit card.

In general, the study found that 1 in 20 people with a credit file are at least 30 days late on a credit card or a non-mortgage loan. The average amount per person for debt past due is $2,258.

At more than 7 percent, Texas is one of three states with the highest percentage of people with debt past due. In several Texas cities, the percentage is even higher.

The study also looked at individual census tracts and found that 40 percent of tracts with the highest concentration of debt past due (at least 15 percent of people with credit reports) are located in either Texas or Louisiana.

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Debt in collections

The group of people with debt in collection is broader than debt past due, because collections debts do not necessarily originate from a line of credit, the study authors note. While unpaid credit cards and loans are included in this category, consumers could also be turned into a collection agency for other infractions, such as missed payments on utility bills, or unresolved parking tickets.

The study found that 35 percent of people with credit files have debt that has been sent to a credit agency. Among those people, the average amount of debt in collections is $5,178.Texas is among 12 states where more than 40 percent of people with a credit card file have debt in collections.

Click through the slideshow to for more information on unpaid debt across Texas, and in other major cities across the United States.